Hi everyone, not long ago I was one of the many nervous, stressed and anxious candidates for the General IELTS. I just got my results today, and want to help anyone out there who is in the same position that I had been 2 weeks ago.General Training in Singapore, test date 19 November 2016.
I did all 4 components on the same day, from 9am and finished the last component (Speaking) at about 1pm.
Results: L8.5 W7.5 W7.5 S8.5
General Writing Task 1
Write a letter to your friend explaining why you have moved to a new city. Your letter should describe your new home, compare it against your previous home and the environment of your new home.
General Writing Task 2
Many believe that young children should play sports in order to prepare them for working life. Some disagree. Discuss.
I honestly did not do so well in the Writing component because Task 2 was a difficult question for me, and I had spent too much time on Task 1. I enjoyed Task 1 and really imagined myself writing to a friend explaining that I have migrated (the real reason why I am taking IELTS). By the time I got to Task 2 I had to furiously scribble my thoughts, and I did not have a cohesive essay.
Thanks to this website though I learned that it’s better to write more than too little, and so even with my scrambled points I kept filling the page with paragraphs so that they would at least see that I can construct detailed sentences!
During the Listening test it’s imperative to fully focus on your paper and listen to the instructions to know which questions you need to answer. At one point I got distracted and didn’t listen that I had to answer until question 30 (had to turn to the next page), so I actually missed a lot of information.
Speaking:
– What is your full name, where are you from
– Where do you live? Do you live in an apartment or a house?
– Do you like living in your house? What is it like?
– Which part of your house do you like the most? Why?
– What is your favourite colour? Why?
– What was your favourite colour when you were a child, and why do you think it has changed now?
– Let’s talk about imagination. Can you describe a situation where you had to use your imagination? How did you feel? What happened?
– What occupations do you think require imagination?
– Why do you think doctors and scientists need to have imagination?
– Do you think teachers should encourage imagination in children, or stick to the curriculum?
– Did you have to use your imagination as a child? What did you do?
I want to stress here that before the Speaking test, I tried to make myself relaxed by thinking “It’s just a conversation with a British stranger.” But I actually felt very anxious when she did not look impressed or convinced by my answers, and just kept going to the next question. I felt like I was giving the wrong answers. But do not be discouraged or nervous by this – I think that’s how the examiner is supposed to behave. Just keep talking and give them as many words and phrases as possible so they can grade you, even if it means you’re trying to fill up the silence.
Good luck whoever is reading this!

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